


Horns N Halos

by verbaeghe



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Fluff and Angst, Idiots in Love, M/M, Non-graphic sexy times, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-10-17 11:34:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20620364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verbaeghe/pseuds/verbaeghe
Summary: Tony's at a slightly-seedy club that serves both angels and demons. He's only trying to unwind, ignore all the angel drama surrounding him, and have a drink. He’s turned his Glow down, trying to blend in.But it turns out he's caught a demon's attention anyway.





	Horns N Halos

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gatorospreybethethunder (lnburoker)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lnburoker/gifts).

> Hi, I hope that you enjoy this! ♥

Tony is an angel.

He’s a pretty good angel, he thinks.

So what if his hair doesn't have the Angel’s Flow like TJ or Val, and who cares that it doesn’t curl properly either, like Brett's does. Yeah, his nose is a little too big, and he doesn’t have the most impressive angelic form. His wings are only so-so. He doesn’t have an official designation either, but whatever.

Oh, and his eyes. They’re so dark that he’s been mistaken for a demon. Quite often, actually. He’s had a lot of holy water and salt thrown into his face over the years.

Most people don’t even believe his Glow. He almost always has to produce his halo before he can get anything done, but he _does_ get every last one of his miracles done.

Sometimes he thinks that he’s a misprint, like Taylor is. The opposite way. Instead of hundreds of perfect angels, it’s just one him.

“Maybe I’m not that great,” he mutters to himself as he looks around Horns ‘N Halos, a very exclusive, ahem, _mixed members_ bar.

He couldn’t talk anyone into joining him, but he’s here anyway, because he’s sick of being looked at like he doesn’t belong in any of the angel-only hangouts. He’s turned his Glow down, but it seems like he may be the only one. Some of the others are even using theirs to flirt with demons.

The very thought of doing something that bold makes him flush hot all over. He takes a seat and orders the first drink he sees on a menu, which he promptly forgets the name of.

“Well, hello handsome,” someone says, sliding in next to him. Tony looks up, intending to tell the guy to look elsewhere, that he’s just trying to unwind in peace, but the words get stuck in his throat. “What’s a demon like you doing in a place like this?”

Holy cow, this guy is really hot. Hot like hell, if Tony can use the pun.

And he’s going to, terrible pick up line or not.

“Do you use that line a lot?”

“More often than I should, probably,” the guy replies, leaning in.

“Does it usually work?” Tony smirks.

“Not ever.” He shakes his head, laughs. “But there’s a first time for everything.”

He’s sort of charming, Tony decides. “I’m Tony.”

“Misha,” he replies. “Can I sit?”

“Sure.”

Tony knows he should tell Misha that he isn't a demon, that maybe let his Glow shine just enough so Misha would know that he’d be better off looking elsewhere if he wants a demon.

But maybe not just yet.

“Do you come here a lot, if you’re using that line and failing all the time?” Tony asks after Misha orders a drink.

He chuckles. “I didn’t say I use it all the time.”

“Ah, my mistake.” Tony leans in a bit, offers a small tight-lipped smile. “Then, why did you think your line, the one that you _don’t_ use all the time, would work with me?”

“Doesn’t matter.” He shrugs. “It obviously worked.”

“Me talking to you doesn’t mean it worked.”

“It absolutely does.” Misha smiles and it’s soft. Softer than Tony ever thought a demon’s smile could be. “I’m glad it worked.”

“Yeah?” Tony wants to know more about this guy, even though he knows he should walk away right now.

“I’ve never seen anyone like you before, so yeah.”

Tony feels his cheeks heat. He looks down, shy, unable to come up with a retort for something so...so _nice_. He has no idea what to say in the face of someone seemingly wanting him, especially this really gorgeous dem--

His phone goes off. Tony sighs, pulls it out. It’s a text Taylor saying that they've been tapped for an emergency miracle that has to be done ASAP.

_It’s our day off _Tony sends back.

_Michael doesn’t care_ is the reply. Tony frowns at his phone.

“Something wrong?” Misha asks. Tony directs his attention back to where he wish it could stay.

“I have to go. Um, I have an appointment.” It’s just as well, he was never going to get to do anything with this guy anyway.

“Loved meeting you. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime,” Misha says. There’s, like, a _purr_ to his voice. It sends a shudder down Tony’s spine, and yeah, he has to leave. Right now.

“Uh, bye,” he says, knowing how lame he must sound. He turns away. He knows he has to walk away from this, that it’s a bad idea.

The worst idea.

He turns back. “Let me give you my number.” Tony writes it on Misha’s arm, like he’s coy or sexy. He hopes Misha is fooled. “See you around.”

Tony winks before heading for the door.

//

Two days later his phone goes off with a text from an unknown number. _Hey, it’s Misha. Wanna meet at the bar? If you aren’t busy corrupting people, I mean lol_

_I think I might just be free _Tony replies before he can second guess himself.

_Great, see you soon :)_

//

Tony arrives at the bar and proceeds to pace back and forth in front of the door for about ten minutes. He’s almost talked himself into going in or leaving (he isn’t sure which yet) when Misha steps onto the sidewalk.

“Oh, hey, I’m glad you’re here.” Misha runs a hand through his hair. He looks a little frazzled and that’s _nice_. “I have a, um, this time I have a thing that I have to take care of. I thought it was tomorrow, but I just got the reminder that it’s in a few minutes.”

“We can put this off, it’s okay.” Tony isn’t sure if he’s relieved or not, but at least he has more time to decide.

“You can come. It won’t take long.” Misha offers him a small smile. No demon should have a smile that nice. It isn’t fair.

And also, maybe going isn’t that good an idea. “I don’t want to get in the way or anything.”

“You won’t get in the way, and then we can still hang out afterwards.”

Tony _really_ wants to say no, because he’s pretty sure that it’s a soul reaping, since those are the only thing that he’s ever heard is planned in advance by demons. He doesn’t want to witness a lost soul actually happening.

The problem is that he doesn’t see any way he can decline (that he didn’t already try) without it being suspicious. “Yeah, okay.”

Misha’s smile widens as he reaches for Tony. “I’ll teleport us.”

So, turns out the way demons teleport makes one a little queasy. Or, a lot, actually. Yuck.

“Are you okay?” Misha asks him with a little pat on the back.

“Yeah, that always, uh, it makes me woozy if I’m not prepared.”

“Oh, sorry, I’ll warn you next time.”

“Thanks,” Tony grimaces. He’s such an idiot.

“It’s just in this apartment building,” Misha says, leading the way.

Tony looks around as they enter the building and head up. It isn’t a bad area, but it isn’t really fancy, either. It’s just a run of the mill neighborhood.

It makes him take pause. He’s always heard that only the very rich and the very poor sell their souls.

“Hey, Ronald, what’s up?” Misha says conversationally, walking straight through the door. Tony follows, then spends a couple seconds debating if it’s something that would get him in trouble. He decides that it’s probably fine since Misha is expected.

“Hey, look, man, I can--” His pleas stop short when Misha puts a hand up.

“I’m supposed to take your soul today, but I was looking through your file, and it turns out that you helped a nun change a tire six months ago.” Misha shakes his head. “I have no choice but to sentence you to another ten years on earth.”

“I-I d-don’t know what to do to tha--”

“Maybe _don’t help nuns_ if you don’t want punishments in the future,” Misha says lightly. There’s something about the says it that really makes Tony take notice. He straightens up a bit and watches the rest of their exchange, but he doesn’t really catch anything else out of the ordinary. “Anyway, bye,” Misha says before he heads back towards the door.

He gives an awkward little wave and follows Misha out of the apartment.

Misha is giving him a weird little side-eye when they step out onto the street. Like he’s nervous about something, but Tony doesn’t know what it could...oh.

“Don’t think I’ve ever seen that happen before,” Tony says, going for vague and conversational.

“I just don’t think that people should be damned to an eternity of being tortured in hell because they are caught in a desperate situation that they don’t see a way out of.” He stops, puts his hands on his hips, all angry hellfire and a bit of something else that Tony can’t put his finger on. “You can turn me in if you want, I don’t give a single fuck.” He deflates a bit, grins. “But you’d be a bitch ass if you did.”

“I would never turn you in.” Tony smiles at him as gently as he knows how. “I think it’s amazing you’d do something like that. Your secret is safe with me.”

Misha’s features soften. Oh, man, is Tony ever in trouble.

//

_This is just a run down building_ Tony sends after he arrives at the address Misha texted him.

They’ve seen one another more than a handful of times over the last few weeks, but it hasn’t been enough. Not for Tony, anyway. They keep getting interrupted. Either Taylor calls him away for a dumb miracle that isn’t on his schedule or they’re just finding a spare couple of minutes here and there between their actual work.

It’s been a hassle and a half, but Tony doesn’t want to give up.

But now he has another day off, told Taylor not to contact him for anything short of the apocalypse, and here he is.

Looking at a condemned building.

Tony looks back down at his phone when it buzzes in his hand. _Come to the roof_

He squints at the building, concerned that it’s going to crumple right from under them, before sighing and heading to the nearby alley to teleport up. What a relief it’d been to learn their teleporting doesn’t look different.

The Powers That Be always go on about how different angels and demons are, but they...aren’t.

“What took you so long?” Misha asks the second he materializes.

“I wasn’t sure this thing would hold me,” Tony smirks.

Misha puts a dramatic hand over his heart. “It wounds me that you think I would invite you somewhere that isn’t safe.”

“Shut up,” Tony replies through laughter.

“Only if you come with me.” Misha grabs his hand and pulls him to the other end of the roof.

Tony’s breath catches when they come to a stop. Misha’s laid out the setting for a picnic, finger sandwiches and wine included. But that isn’t the main attraction.

The sky is a symphony of orange and red, streaks of purple cutting impressive lines through all of it, following the sun on its trip down into the bay.

It’s the most romantic thing he’s ever seen.

“You did this for…” Tony swallows. “For _me_?”

“Who else would I be doing it for?” Misha asks with a little grin. His face goes serious as he steps closer. “I’m glad you got here when you did, though.”

“Yeah? Why’s that?”

Misha reaches for him, trails a couple of fingers up his jawline. “Because you look even more beautiful cast in the light of a dying day.”

“No, I--” Misha leans in and kisses him.

Tony LOVES it, because Misha tastes like smoke and the spark of how a match smells. And a bit like a candle that’s just been blown out.

Misha stops suddenly, pulls back, studies him.

“Is something wrong?” Tony asks.

“No, it’s. Nothing. Don’t worry about it, come back here.” He tugs Tony back in.

Tony quickly decides that there will never be such thing as kissing Misha too much.

//

Taylor, official designation Taylor #0018, is frowning at him from next to him on their couch. “Look, I get the flirting and wanting to try something...different...but you _kissed_ him?”

“He kissed me, technically.” Tony lets his mind drift back to sunsets and picnics. And smokey, wine-flavored kisses. It’s easy when he can still taste Misha on his lips.

“But you kissed him back,” Taylor says flatly.

“Yeah.” Tony replies on a sigh.

“I should report you to Michael.”

“You _can’t_!” Tony panics. He doesn’t care about getting in trouble, but he cares about what would happen to Misha. “He doesn’t know that I’m an angel.”

“You lied to him?” Taylor raises his eyebrows.

“No, he just assumed and I didn’t correct him.”

“Tony, how long do you think you can carry on this charade?” Taylor frowns. “How long until you slip and he sees your Glow? Or until you’re with him and Michael appears right next to you?”

Tony snorts. “Michael has _never_ gone out of his way to see me.”

“Really?” Taylor cocks his head, narrows his eyes in confusion. “I see him all the time.”

“Yeah, well, you’re a Taylor, aren’t you?”

“There’s twelve hundred of me!”

“All perfect down to the last detail.” Tony forces a sad smile. “Something I am not.”

“That isn’t true,” Taylor shakes his head, but Tony can tell his heart isn’t into it, that he knows better.

“I know that this isn’t something I can keep up forever, believe me. I do.” Tony huffs quietly. “You have no idea what it feels like to be wanted when you haven’t been wanted in over a millennia of existence.”

“Whata ‘bout all those rumours? You know, the things that demons crave sexually?” Taylor’s face screws up in distaste. “Tourture and things like that.”

Taylor is right, torture during sex doesn't sound good, but Misha doesn't seem like that at all. He’s kind and he lets people out of their contracts. Taylor is just wrong. Tony sits up a little bit. The Powers That Be might be_ wrong_.

“He isn’t like that.” Tony shakes his head. “He’s nice. Kind, even”

“A nice, kind demon,” Taylor echoes, his voice gone flat again. “Do you know how unlikely that sounds?”

“Yes, I do!” Tony throws up his hands in frustration. “But he really is.”

“How can you be sure?”

Tony chews his bottom lip. He _wants_ to tell Taylor what he knows about Misha, the things he’s seen, but the risk of something bad happening to him if word gets out is too high. “I can’t tell you...but you have to believe me.”

“I’m still not sure about this...” Taylor’s resolve is ebbing. Which, Tony can work with that.

“Taylor, look, I’ve already said that I know that I can’t do this forever. And I also know that it can’t even be much longer.” Tony places a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “But there isn’t a Boris up here for me. Or an anyone else.” He purses his lips so he doesn’t sigh again. “I’m not trying to be the next TJ and Ondrej Epic Star-Crossed Lovers story, I know that I can’t...that I’m not…

“I just want to feel wanted for a little while longer. Please let me have this one thing, okay?”

“I know I’m going to regret this, but don’t come crying to me when you get in over your head,” Taylor relents with a frown. “I won’t help you.”

Tony smiles softly. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

//

Tony is sitting on the rooftop where they had their picnic. He’s hugging his legs close, chin propped on his knees while he watches the sunset. Yeah, he’s sulking the whole Misha situation, but there’s no one there but him, so it doesn’t matter if he’s here yearning like the lead in some romance novel.

He startles when someone materializes nearby. No one knows he’s here, so he doesn’t know who could...oh no, what if this is, like, a popular hangout and his dumb self thought it was private, and--

And maybe he should just look up. “Misha? What are you doing here?”

He shrugs. "Just felt like I needed to be." His face blooms into a small smile. “And look, I was right, because here you are.” He holds out a small box. “I got you this because it seemed like you might want it.”

Tony looks at the box of candy for a second before he gets up, walks over to where Misha is standing, runs his fingers into his hair, and surges right up into him, kissing him with everything he has. He hears the candy hit the ground, but it’s in a box, it’ll hold.

Misha breaks it after a minute, cradles Tony’s face in his palms. He’s studying Tony, who fidgets under his gaze. “What?”

“You’re just...it looks like you’re glowing.”

Awww, shoot. Tony forgot about his Glow. He tips his head in the direction of the sun. “Trick of the light, I guess.”

“Yeah,” Misha agrees. “It’s really nice, though.”

Tony should tell him, he _should_, but he isn’t ready to lose this yet. “Lemme kiss you some more,” he mutters, pulling Misha back down, dimming his Glow as soon as Misha’s eyes flutter closed.

Misha’s hands are careful, gentle even, as they trail down the length of Tony’s body. He kisses at Tony’s neck; Tony tips his head to give him better access.

“Can I..?”

“Yeah, yes.” Tony swallows. “Whatever you want.”

Misha smiles on his jaw, then pulls his shirt up and over, tossing it off to the side without a care.

Every move he makes is gentle, soft even. Nothing is anything like what Tony’s heard about demons.

A kiss here, a caress there.

They’re both naked before he even realizes that it’s happening. Misha pulls a blanket from somewhere, Tony doesn’t even know _where_, and spreads it over them.

“God, you’re gorgeous, and the way you smell is amazing,” Misha whispers behind his ear as he takes Tony in hand. “You can help, you know,” he rasps, thrusting their bodies together.

Tony moans, arches his body into Misha’s, but manages to get himself under enough control that he gets a hand between them.

“Oh, yeah, like that,” Misha rasps. The rasp of his voice runs right through Tony.

It’s an embarrassingly short amount of time before Tony comes. Or, it would be, if Misha didn’t follow him right over.

Misha presses their foreheads together; they share breath for a minute or two. “You’re amazing,” he whispers.

“No, you are,” Tony replies, nuzzling their noses together.

Misha huffs a little laugh and kisses him.

//

“You reek.”

“Excuse me?” Tony blinks over at Taylor, who’s just dropped down next to him on the couch.

“You smell terrible,” Taylor complains.

“I...don’t smell anything?” Tony says, sniffing himself to make sure.

“You smell like that...that _demon_.” Taylor scrunches his face in disgust. “All smokey and…” He takes a deep breath. “I don’t even know what else.”

“I haven’t even seen him today.” Tony furrows his eyebrows.

“That makes it worse, actually.”

“You said that I could have this. How am I getting to have it if you’re going to complain about it all the time?”

“That was before I had to _smell it _all the time,” Taylor snaps.

“There’s nothing to smell!” Tony half-yells.

“Look, I get it. I do. He’s all fancy and takes you underground to places you’ve never been, makes you feel special.” Taylor shakes his head. “But you aren’t special, Tony.”

“Gee, thanks.” Tony’s heart sinks into his stomach. It’s true that Misha’s taken him to a couple of semi-shady, underground clubs and Tony loves how free he feels there, being so held so close to Misha without anyone watching or judging him. But this kind of reminder really hurts.

“That isn’t what I mean,” Taylor objects. He runs his hands into his hair, tugs a little bit. “I mean that he isn’t going to want you when he knows that you aren’t a demon like he is.”

“Why do you think I haven’t told him?” Tony asks.

Taylor stops, studies Tony for a couple of beats. “Victor and Steven have been together for a millennia. They’re happy and love each other more than anything.”

“What does this have to do with me?”

“You could have that, too! There has to be an angel up here for you, one that will look at you like you mean the entire universe!”

“Ondrej looks at TJ like he means the entire universe.”

“Stop bringing them up!” Taylor hisses, looking over his shoulder like someone is going to appear and punish them.

“Why? Everyone knows about them, even if they pretend they don’t.” Tony shakes his head. “And they’re just as happy together as Steven and Victor are.”

“They may be happy, but they don’t have the sweetness of true love up here in the clouds. Don’t you want that?" Taylor offers him a smile, it doesn’t really seem genuine.

“I don’t care where I am, and Misha is sweet.”

“No. He’s a demon. He can _pretend_ to be sweet, but it isn’t real.”

“How do you know it isn’t real?” Tony crosses his arms. “He brought me my favorite candy from Greece just the other day because, and I quote, “Seemed like you might want it.” How is that not sweet?”

“It’s just candy, Tony,” Taylor answers, voice flat.

“Yes, just candy. That someone picked out for me, which has never happened before in all of my existence!”

“I still say you’re making a mistake here, Tony.”

“It’s my mistake to make,” Tony counters.

“You know what, fine.” He stands. “I’m going to stay with Boris until this all blows over. I’ll see you at work.”

He stomps out, slamming the front door. As if he couldn’t have just teleported.

“Dramatic,” Tony mutters to himself.

//

Some of the stuff Taylor said TJ and Ondrej leads Tony to TJ’s door a couple of days later. He only pauses for a moment before he makes himself knock.

He’s ready to flee fifteen seconds later, but the door opens and he has no choice but to smile into one of the most beautiful faces he’s ever seen.

“Hi?” TJ asks.

“Hi! I’m, um, I’m Tony, and--”

“I know who you are.” He chuckles. It’s melodic. They really pulled out all the stops with this particular angel model. Wow. “What brings you to my door?”

“I wanted to ask about your, um. Your…” Tony falters, not sure if it’s something he can say out loud in semi-public.

TJ cocks his head, pulls the door open a little wider. “Why don’t you come in?”

“Thanks,” Tony mutters, slinking by.

“So, talk to me,” TJ turns to him after snapping the door closed. Tony is standing in the middle of the foyer, wringing his hands nervously.

“How did you know that the thing between you and Ondrej is real?”

“Oh, heavens! Do you have yourself a demon?” He looks absolutely gleeful.

“I don’t know if it’s…” Tony sighs. “I think maybe? But my work partner doesn’t think that it’s real.”

TJ leads him over to the couch, sits him down. “Does it feel real to you?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Tony bits at his bottom lip, ponders. “He’s kind and sometimes he does things for me without me asking for them.” He looks up. “I feel..._alive_ when I’m with him.”

“Sounds real to me.” TJ smiles at him. They’re quiet for a moment, then TJ speaks again, “I think it’s time that you learn the truth.”

“About what?” Tony blinks up at him in surprise.

“About the fact that you’re an offshoot of me.”

“I am?” Tony’s always sort of wondered if he was a mistake, but he didn’t think--

“Yeah, they wanted to get rid of all the pesky things that they didn’t like about me, like the attraction to demons.” He snorts.

“I have a predisposition to it?”

“No, it isn’t even really a thing,” TJ shakes his head. The Powers That Be aren’t always right, Tony.”

Tony gasps. He may have thought those words, but he doesn’t know that he’d say them so plainly.

“Calm down, this is one time that they knew it. They didn’t make any more of you because they realized it was folly to try and make an angel be anything other than who they are.” TJ’s smile returns. “It might have helped that they had the Taylor malfunction pretty much simultaneously.”

“Oh.” Tony pauses. “Why do you go by TJ and not Tyler?”

“Same reason you go by Tony and not Anthony. Good old fashioned rebellion.”

Tony’s startled into laughter. He sobers after a second. “I guess that’s everything, then. Thank you.”

“Anytime,” TJ replies, standing.

“Oh, one more question, actually.”

“Sure.”

“Does Ondrej ever sense when you need things or even, like, need _him_?” Tony’s heart is beating fast in his chest.

TJ scoffs. "Did they tell you yours wouldn’t be able to? Typical. Yeah, of course he does.” TJ claps Tony on the shoulder, gives it a little pat. “Don’t ever forget that demons are angels too, okay?"

“Okay,” Tony agrees, even though he’s not sure that he understands what TJ is saying.

“Come talk to me any time, and I mean that,” TJ says as he leads Tony back to the front door.

“Okay,” Tony repeats like an idiot. “I mean, thank you.”

“It’s no problem,” TJ answers.

//

Every time Tony sees Misha over the next couple of weeks he feels this...pull? No, it’s more of a reach. Like there’s this bit of him that’s reaching out to embrace Misha and he doesn’t know what it means.

He wants to let it go, see what happens, but also, it’s sort of terrifying.

Tony was supposed to see Misha today, but Taylor just texted him that Michael has another Very Important Thing that they have to do Immediately so he’s sitting in their apartment waiting for Taylor to arrive.

“You know,” Taylor says, walking out of his bedroom like he’s been staying here, which he _hasn’t_, “Wouldn’t it be nice if your paramour could come to your house?” Taylor leans over the couch, smirks. “But then he’d have to be less illicit, huh?”

“He isn’t…”Tony stops. Taylor looks smug. “I don’t care that he can’t come here. I can go to him.”

“I’d say that would make for interesting living arrangements eventually, but that probably won’t be an issue, right?”

“Huh?”

“He’ll get tired of you and move on.”

“I-I hadn’t thought of--”

“He’s a demon, he’s probably going to get sick of an angel eventually.” Taylor scoffs. “Even if he doesn’t know about that particular little detail yet.”

“Do you know what does it mean if Misha shows up when I’m missing him?” Tony asks instead of taking the bait.

“_What_?” Taylor stands up, his eyes blown wide. “What do you mean, he...are you sure?”

“Yeah. Whenever something happens that makes me miss him, or just if I’m wishing that he’s there, he, um, he almost always shows up right after that?” Tony fidgets a bit under Taylor’s glare. Maybe this is something weird and he should have kept his mouth shut.

“Are you...you can’t be serious,” Taylor says, voice flat. It seems to be a theme lately.

“Yeah, like with the candy? I told you about that before and you said it was ‘just candy’.”

“You didn’t say that he appeared with it because you were missing him!”

“I’m pretty sure I did?” Tony tries to think back to the conversation, but Taylor is yelling at him.

“No, you didn’t! Because if you had, I would have told you that he Bonded with you!”

“Bonded?” Tony asks, feeling stupid yet again.

“He picked you! You’re it for him and oh my _word_, he doesn’t know that you aren’t a demon and he _picked you_ for...oh, you are _absolutely_ in over your head.” Taylor clenches his hands into fists. “I haven’t even Bonded with Bor-- How do you not _know_ these things?”

“We’ve been roommates for hundreds of years and you somehow missed that no one has ever so much as _looked_ at me before?” He throws his arms out. “Just who was supposed to tell me about bonding?”

“No, it’s Bonding.” Taylor deflates, circles the couch and pulls Tony down with him. “Tony, listen to me. Choosing to Bond with you is him making a full commitment to you and no one else for the rest of eternity. It can only be done once. You might feel the pull with any number of people who could work for you, but you have to actually let the Bond go. You pick them.” Taylor frowns. “And then that’s it, you don’t get to another chance.”

Tony swallows. “You mean he...?” Taylor nods. “And I...I didn’t. He doesn’t know about me and...oh no, what do I do?”

“You’re going to go tell him, like you should have from the start.”

“But our job?” Tony asks weakly.

“I’ll take care of it.” He stands. “Just _go_.”

“Okay, I’ll just.” He scrambles to his feet. “I’ll go do that now.”

“Good luck,” Taylor says. It sounds like he even means it.

“Yeah, thanks,” Tony says before he teleports to earth.

//

Tony is frantically pacing on the roof of the building when Misha appears. “What’s-- You’re so-- Why are you this upset? What’s wrong?!” Tony turns to Misha, throwing his arms around him with a sob. “Whoa, hey.” Misha snakes one arm around him, pulling him in while running his free hand into Tony’s hair. He squeezes gently.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t know this could happen, that by not telling you about...I-I…” he falters.

Misha tips his face up. “Breathe, okay?” He flashes a little crooked smile. “Tell me what happened and we’ll fix it.”

“You Bonded with me!” Tony cries.

“Is that bad? Did you not want me to? I mean, I can’t take it back now, but--”

“I’m an angel, not a demon!” Tony pulls back, crosses his arms around his midsection, makes himself small. “You were actually interested in me, which has never happened before, but you thought I was a demon and I didn’t correct you because I was just so...and then I _couldn’t_ tell you but now I’ve...I’ve ruined your entire _existence_ and you’re going to hate me.” He sniffs, adds in a whisper, “I don’t have any idea what I can do to make any of this better.”

“Oh, yeah, about that.” Misha smiles at him, but it sort of resembles that one emoji. “I already know about the angel bit.”

“You. What?” Tony blinks. “Since when?”

“The first time we kissed.”

“But that was ages ago?” Tony frowns.

“Your angry eyebrows are adorable,” Misha’s smile softens. “I figured you’d tell me when you were ready.” He shrugs. “Or that you couldn’t tell me For Reasons.”

“Why wouldn’t I be able to tell you?”

“I’m a demon? It’s sort of taboo, right?”

“I mean, there’s TJ and Ondrej.”

“They’re true love forever and shit, so I thought--”

“You thought what?” Tony feels his anger flare, pulls himself up to full height. “That I don’t care about you like that, so whatever?”

“Tony, I--”

“And you wasted your _Bond, _picking me while managing to hold such a low opinion of me at the same time?

“No. Stop, listen to me.” Misha grabs him, cupping his face and pulling it up to his own. “I knew the first time I kissed you, when I tasted...God, kissing you is like stepping into a clean stream just above freezing while the smallest fluff of cloud floats by on an otherwise clear day. Oh, and…” He leans in, inhales behind Tony’s ear, right along the hairline. “Right here smells like the air just before a bolt of lightning strikes.”

Tony swallows. “But what does that mean?”

“You’re all I want for the rest of time,” Misha replies. “And I don’t care if you never pick me back, because I’m never going to want anyone else.”

A little gasp escapes Tony and he pulls Misha into a kiss. He feels Misha’s hand tighten in his hair, feels that little tug, and just...lets go. A weird little wispy thing reaches out from him and embraces Misha. Wraps him up completely and pulls his essence close.

And then Tony feels joy that isn’t his own. He’s an angel, so he’s used to love. But the amount he’s feeling at the moment is almost overwhelming.

“Oh my God,” he gasps. He grasps at Misha’s clothes a bit, leans into him for support. “Is that.” Tony swallows. “This is how you feel about me?”

“Yeah, and I know it’s a lot at first,” Misha mutters into his ear. “But you’ll get used to it. I did.” A beat passes. “Can an angel take the Lord’s Name in vain?”

“It was a prayer,” Tony manages. Misha laughs, kisses him again. Tony’s ready to deepen it when Misha actually pulls away. “What’s...is something wrong?” he asks, scratching lightly along his jawline.

“Can you...um.” Misha stops, blushes a bit. It feels warm along the Bond and also has the added attraction of being adorable.

“Can I what?” Tony prompts gently.

“Am I allowed to see your Glow?” he asks in a hushed whisper.

“Why wouldn’t you be?” Tony cocks his head.

“I know that some angels were using it at the bar, but thought that maybe they were just bad and you aren’t supposed to show it to demons?” He shrugs. “I haven’t talked to many angels before you, or any really, so I thought it might be a thing.”

“Oh. No, it was. I was trying to blend in,” Tony admits, looking down.

Misha takes his jaw, tips his face back up. “You could never blend in.”

Tony’s breath catches. At his words, at the look in his eyes. He feels...he feels like. “That’s what you should have used as a pick up line.”

“Why? The one I used worked just fine.”

He huffs a little surprised laugh before taking a deep breath. He lets his Glow warm his skin up on the slow exhale.

“Holy shit,” Misha breathes. “You’re so beautiful.”

“It’s just--”

“I mean, you’re _always_ beautiful, but this is.” Misha turns his head to and fro, just a bit. “Wow.”

“Is there somewhere we can go that isn’t on the top of a building?” Tony asks.

“Hmm?” Misha is apparently still quite distracted by Tony’s Glow.

“Somewhere more private?” Tony pulls away, Misha whines. “Do you have a place you stay on earth?”

“Oh. Oh! Yes, I do.”

They stand there for a minute. Tony raises his eyebrows. “So, uh, are you gonna teleport us, or?”

“Oh, crap. Right.” Misha puts a hand on his shoulder and they’re standing in a room the next moment. Tony’s almost used to how Misha’s teleporting feels. “Better?”

Tony takes a quick glance around the room. “This is where you live?”

“I stay here when I’m on earth, yeah,” Misha answers.

“It’s nice.” Tony leans in for a kiss. Misha stops him.

“Why have I never seen an angel that looks like you before?”

“I thought that you haven’t talked to many angels before?” Tony asks with a little smirk.

“I haven’t, but there’s books and stuff. They teach us about you guys.” Misha frowns. “Not all of you, I guess.”

“They may not know about me.” Tony shrugs one shoulder. “Because I’m a prototype that The Powers That Be decided not to go forward with.”

“A prototype? For what?”

“They were trying to tweak the Tyler model. Keep what they liked about him but get rid of what they didn’t. Especially his pesky ‘attracted to demons’ bit.”

“Was he attracted to a bunch of demons?” Misha raises his eyebrows.

“No, just the one,” Tony answers with a laugh.

“So, why weren’t they weren’t pleased with the results?” Misha asks. He’s pretty serious, like it makes him really upset that they didn’t consider Tony good enough. It used to bother Tony too, but feeling Misha’s annoyance through the Bond actually puts him at ease.

“Tyler said the things they were trying to get rid of don’t even exist, so it doesn’t matter that they didn’t make more. There wasn’t anything to fix.”

“Oh, so you aren’t predisposed to liking demons?” Misha cocks his head.

“Nope, I like you because you’re you,” Tony says with a little smile. He lets it slip into a grin. “And because you’re so hot.”

Misha relaxes, chuckles. “What a relief.”

“But, if you were curious, I heard that they thought the only bit they believed they actually got right on me was the eyelashes,” Tony blinks his eyes a couple of times, probably misses coy by about half a hemisphere. “What do you think?”

“I think they’re wrong,” Misha starts, pulling Tony close. “I mean, _yes_, your eyelashes are amazing, but so is the rest of you.” He runs his fingers into Tony’s hair, kisses him gently. “They’re fools because you’re perfect.”

“Are demons allowed to say things are perfect?” Tony attempts to deflect. He can feel the blush burning his cheeks.

“It isn’t like I said you’re heavenly,” Misha replies. He purses his lips for a second. “Of course it would be an accurate description in this case, so I wouldn’t get in trouble.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“I’m a demon.”

“I said what I said,” Tony replies, grinning into another kiss.

** _Epilogue_ **

“What are you doing?” Tony looks up at the sound of Taylor’s voice.

“I’m packing, duh,” he says, placing a stack of shirts in the box.

“For what?”

“I’m moving to earth,” Tony answers, turning back to his dresser.

“You’ve been re-assigned? Why wasn’t I told?” Taylor sounds mad.

“No, I’m still your partner. I’m moving in with Misha.”

“You’re still with him? And _moving down there_?”

“You say that like you’re surprised.” Tony turns back. “But, anyway, we’re Bonded, so they have to let us be together.”

“You guys actually...he didn’t turn you away after finding out you’re an angel?” Taylor isn’t being mean, he’s actually confused.

“Turns out he knew all along.” Tony snorts. “Apparently I taste like clear streams and smell like lightning.”

“That’s. Wow, I’m so glad for you, Tony.” Taylor smiles, it looks sort of nervous. “Is being Bonded scary?”

“No, Taylor.” Tony walks over, places a hand on Taylor’s shoulder. “Listen, I’m not going to tell you that you should Bond with Boris, but man, it’s the best feeling in the world having the person you love always with you.”

“Okay, um. T-thanks,” Taylor says quietly. “And I’m sorry.”

“You were worried, so I understand.” Tony gives him a little hug. “Go talk to Boris?”

“Yeah, I will.” He swallows. “Right now.”

“That’s my partner.” Tony offers him a half-smile.

“Catch you later,” Taylor says. Tony watches him leave, then goes back to packing.

//

“So he took it okay?” Misha asks, pulling Tony close the second he climbs into bed.

“Better than expected, for sure.” Tony hums when Misha runs a hand into his hair. “Love when you do that.”

“Love _you_,” Misha mutters into a kiss.

“Love you too,” Tony answers on a sigh.

Going to Horns ‘N Halos was his best idea _ever_.


End file.
